Two years after losing an AL-record 119 games, the Tigers backed up what
Young said last month when he boldly proclaimed: "We're the Tigers - not
the kittens." It was, however, just the first of 162 games, and the
victory came against a team expected to be among baseball's worst.

Detroit's performance created a frenzied atmosphere before a Comerica
Park-record crowd of 44,105 on a sunny day with temperatures in the 60s.

Young's home run in the second inning put Detroit ahead 1-0. He hit a
two-run homer in the third for a 5-0 lead and added another two-run shot
in the eighth. The designated hitter also had a single and was hit by a
pitch.

"That was a great day," Kansas City manager Tony Pena said. "Good for him. Bad for us."

Toronto's George Bell hit three homers against the Royals on opening day
in 1988 and Tuffy Rhodes of the Chicago Cubs
had three against the New York Mets in 1994.
Those two games also were played on April 4.

"It was just one of those unconscious days," said Young, who has hit two
homers in a game six times.

He did not hit a home run in 46 at-bats during spring training.

"You never see those stats on the back of a bubble gum card," Young said
with a wide smile.

Young did his best to deflect attention to the rest of his teammates,
especially Bonderman, whom he called "a young Roger Clemens."

Bonderman pumped his fist and walked off the mound with a confident
strut after ending the second inning with his fifth strikeout. He
finished with seven strikeouts in seven innings and gave up one run and
six hits.

The 22-year-old right-hander became the youngest pitcher to start an
opener since the New York Mets' Dwight Gooden did it at the age of 21 in
1986. No Tiger that young had started an opener since 20-year-old Josh
Billings in 1928.

Bonderman shrugged off any questions about his age.

"They gave me the opportunity and I took advantage of it," he said.

The overflow crowd at the 5-year-old ballpark -- with uncounted fans
perched atop a parking garage across the street -- watched a team hoping
to contend in the AL Central. Magglio Ordonez's
bat and an improved bullpen, led by free-agent acquisition Troy Percival, are expected to boost Detroit's chances.

Ordonez, the only player given a standing ovation before his first
at-bat, went 0-for-4 with a walk and a run, and Percival had one
strikeout in the ninth.

"We're going to put a lot of pressure on teams with our offense,"
Percival said.

Kansas City's Jose Lima gave up five runs and six hits over three
innings in his first opening day start, and the 200th of his career.
Three of the hits were homers, including one by Brandon Inge.

"It's too quiet in here," Lima said. "No one died. We still have 161
games left."

The Royals scored on David DeJesus'
single in the fifth, but Detroit got three in the home half on a
bases-loaded walk and Craig Monroe's
two-run single to take an 8-1 lead.